Moving Tear-Jerker

My mother is Canadian, but has never obtained US citizenship despite being married to my American-born father for more than fifty years.

However, she was moved by President Obama's final campaign speech tonight. We both had copious tears running down our cheeks as he spoke, emotionally charged by his obvious sincerity and humaneness. There was never in any doubt in my mind as to who would get my vote anyway, the same as it was four years ago.

My admiration goes to those who are willing to stand in line for hours on end to cast their ballots, despite right-wing attempts to squelch their voices in many areas across the country.

Thankfully I was able to vote via absentee ballot more than two weeks ago, so I will be spared the painful wait.

Fired Up!

And so it begins on the right note…

• President Obama crushes Romney in Hart's Location, NH

I'm keeping my fingers crossed the rest of the day goes just as well all across America…

Unfair & Unbalanced

Interesting graphic from Media Matters:

I know how Fox News distorts or simply ignores the facts, so I never watch their reports or lunatic-fringe programs.

 

However, the disproportion in coverage is still surprising.

Political Hay

While I don't care for Chris Christie on a political level, I believe he is motivated by sincere concern for the people of New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy and not his own career advancement. He honestly cares about his state and the folks residing within it. All the recent political hay directed at him is simply foolish.

GOP Sketch

Perhaps the most succinct description of the right-wing I've heard all year:

Republican policies caused the economy to crash. Republican obstruction has made the economy harder to fix. And Republicans want us to focus only on bad economic news.

 

That's some advertisement for them for letting them take over the economy again, isn't it?

From Laura Clawson at Daily Kos.

Pundit Repeat

In 2008, I posted a blog entry about the various media commentators featured during the presidential election. It's surprising to see many of the same pundits still in evidence for the current election, such as Paul Begala, James Carville, Eugene Robinson, Joan Walsh, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Richard Wolffe. Two of my "new" favorites are Karen Finney and Robert Reich, who both appear regularly on the MSNBC shows.

There were several people I never wanted to see again for the 2012 election season, but they are back just the same: Tucker Bounds, Bay Buchanan, Lou Dobbs and Sean Hannity among others.

Some things never change – some people, too.

Stormy Past-Dragging

In the scheme of things, it is very disturbing that Mitt "Lipsmacker" Romney is in favor of deep cuts to FEMA. If we take him for his recorded words, does that mean any possible future natural disasters will receive the same shameful lack of attention as Bush gave to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina's devastating sweep?

Should we leave inadequate and vastly underfunded relief efforts to individual states so they can continue to ignore people just as they do in bipartisan wealth-horde denial and fantasy "trickle down" job creation? It doesn't happen, because Republicans rarely step-up to the plate even in support of their fellow citizens in dire straits unless such actions benefit them politically.

In plainer right-wing terms, if you are a minority or poor just suffer and die. If you are white and rich or semi-affluent, we'll be there to rescue you tout de suite.

Thank God President Obama modified FEMA and how it operates and responds, especially now when more than 60 million Americans need it most for the aftermath of Sandy.